Църквата в Каленич и проблемите на късновизантийската архитектура
Reviews / The Church in Kalenich and the Problems of Late Byzantine Architecture
More...We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
Reviews / The Church in Kalenich and the Problems of Late Byzantine Architecture
More...
The scene known as the Miracle with the Carpet is painted on the eastern edge of the south wall of the narthex of the Boyana Church. Gustav Anrich has already noted that the text of the miracle appears „only in old Slavic renditions.“ The text of the Miracle with the Carpet appears for the first time in the manuscript Hlud. 215, which dates from the end of the 13th century and belongs to the Novgorod tradition. In Byzantine monuments, the Miracle of St. Nicholas with the Carpet is not found. The only example of the scene in the post-Byzantine period that we are aware of appears in a small church in the village of Brezovo in western Serbia, whose frescoes date to the 1630s. Unlike Byzantine and post-Byzantine art, in Russian icon painting of the 14th century onward it can be said that the Miracle with the Carpet is mandatory in life cycles of St. Nicholas. The exactitude of the reproduction of the decoration of the cloth, as well as the manner of its „display,“ points towards information from the Russian traveler Antonii Novgorodski that St. Nicholas’ carpet was revered as a relic in Constantinople, which is the only reference to it. This circumstance corresponds to the fact that the Miracle with the Carpet is familiar only in the Russian literature and receives its widest distribution in Russian icons; how- ever, this also complicates the main question: how and from where did the Miracle appear in the Boyana Church? Indeed, the first half of the 13th century was a period marked by the particularly active presence of Russians on the Bulgarian historical scene. Perhaps Bulgarian-Russian relations during the 13th century were more active than we currently imagine? As a symbol of a ruler’s power and might, precious fabrics played an important role in court culture and ideology in Byzantium. The high ideological, social and sacred status of expensive textiles in Byzantine circles forces us to pay particular attention to the placement of the scene „St. Nicholas’ Miracle with the Carpet“ in the Boyana Church – it is located on a vertical space between images of the Bulgarian Tsar Konstantin the Quiet and Tsaritsa Irina Laskarina in the first register and a scene of „St. Nicholas Appearing before Emperor Constantine.“ That which connects them is the idea of kingly power, and in that sense the Miracle with the Carpet is yet further proof of the complexity of the iconographic program of the wall paintings in Boyana, which were the work of educated patrons and talented icon painters.
More...
Reviews / The Srub Echmiadzin Cathedral and Eastern Christian Building During the 5th-7th centuries
More...
This work defends the viewpoint that terminology such as the „artistic life“ and the „artistic process“ do not represent „metaphysical“ definitions that have been fixed once and for all and that immanently exist as part of the development of visual-sculptural art throughout all eras and in all circumstances. Rather, they should be used with substantiated reasons and applied only on the basis of an analysis of concrete historical, social and pan-cultural circumstances. This article examines certain structural characteristics of the historical existence of artistic life as a definite system of public factors and institutions that create the necessary conditions for the functioning of visual-sculptural art in the contemporary world. These general particularities correspond to the specific characteristics of the historical development of the social life of art in Bulgaria. In this light, certain periods can be delineated in which such infrastructure does not exist (such as the period before the country’s national liberation in 1878), as well as periods that display a distinct deficit of the fundamental signs and attributes of artistic life (from the 1950s to the 1970s). There are also simultaneously situations such as the present, in which we tend toward the restoration of the fullness of its functioning. The conclusion is reached that the current state of the „art scene“ in Bulgaria, despite its undeveloped and largely rudimentary character, represents to a certain degree (keeping in mind all caveats and negative aspects) a process of „normalization“ and getting in line with the „world of art“ in Bulgaria using the typology of the global Art World. At the same time, doubts are raised as to the existence of a distinct „artistic process,“ understood as an expression of „organizedness“ and „normality.“ New directions are not subjected to some overarching „received“ program, as in the directed character of art during Socialism. In this light, certain characteristic changes in the status of the artist and the art critic are analyzed, as is the emerging and developing art market.
More...
No organization can be led efficiently if it is unaware of true values. Starting from this aspect, this study aims to analyse the organizational culture of professional emergency services in the Western part of Romania, a complex, social, formal, well organized and coordinated structure. Various ways of reform have been tried out; however only a few were concerned with starting change from the cultural elements, i.e. from knowledge, awareness and valuation of these elements. When collecting data, I used both qualitative and quantitative methods, and the conclusions of the research show that there are certain significant correlations between the dominant decision-making style and the cultural types, both existing and desired by the employees, according to the staff categories they belong to; and the profile of dominant rules reflects a special emphasis on the interpersonal values.
More...
The goal of this study was to investigate change in the teaching practice of the mathematics teacher, adopting a qualitative research approach from a phenomenological perspective. Our understanding of phenomenological research, and the fundamental ideas underlying it, is presented. The research is described, including the ideographic and nomothetic analyses, and the six invariants, or open categories that emerged. We present our interpretation of one of them, the possibilities of going through the experience: loosening the ties to the past and an objective look at change.
More...
The study intends to analyse patterns of transition and consolidation connected to Romanian scenario, in order to identify the vulnerabilities and dysfunctionalities derived from local trajectory towards democratization. The research is grounded on two major assumptions. First work hypothesis claims the existence of a strong particularism within Romanian rite of separation, entailing also significant differences in sphere of consolidation prospects, while second hypothesis sustains the conservation of societal modernization gaps, influencing the ascent to democratization. Exploratory endeavour utilize a comparative frame, decrypting the transitional mechanism trough filter of four regime change theories: functional approach, transnational view, genetic theory and interactive paradigm.
More...
On the grounds that art cannot be subsumed anymore to the principles that have provided it with a certain sense of unity throughout history and that an ideal notion of art can no longer be defended, this paper investigates the hermeneutic and pragmatic roots of the recent philosophical current of “everyday aesthetics” in order to determine a baseline for the study of art. After pointing out the so-called “destructive” dimension of hermeneutical phenomenology, the paper counters the idealistic approach to art and concludes that art may and should be reintegrated within the lived life of a historically-determined community and cultural context. A key finding of the paper consists in declaring the interdisciplinary potential of the latter idea, which parallels Steve Fuller’s critique of interdisciplinarity as mere departmental flexibility and adaptability.
More...
The Eccentricities of Reason - Essay on the Gorgias. The figure of Socrates, as it appears in Plato’s dialogues, is that of a singular, original character, an eccentric one in the environment of the Athenian polis. The eccentricity of the philosopher is also arguable from a spatial point of view, against the attribute of heterotopy - Socrates enters the stage more often than not from the outside, that is from an ex-centric place or at any rate marginal in relation to the centre (the house of a main character or the palaestra, the favourite place of the Sophists), but also particularly in terms of a discourse. In fact, Socrates passes for the partisan of an eccentric logic, which is that of the paradox, off-center from the doxa: the totality of what is commonly accepted. If Socrates deliberately chooses paradoxical formulation, this is because in his view, the latter are invested with a non-negligible epistemic role. Hence, with Socrates, the paradox is a formidable instrument of knowledge. One of the main themes of the Gorgias being precisely the knowledge of ethical concepts (what is just and unjust, good and bad, what is happiness?) - can argumentative semantics (Anscombre & Ducrot 1983, Ducrot & Carel 1999) offer a standard for the pertinent reading of these concepts? The paradox of Socrates is equally being the master who questions and teaches at the same time. Therefore, what is the role of questioning in the economy of the dialogue? Given that, Socrates and his interlocutors each believe something. Do these beliefs reveal the episteme or the doxa? The question is not a trivial one, since it opposes two different ethical profiles: the philosopher and the sophist.
More...
I will deal with the synchronic question of persons to clarify the necessary and sufficient conditions for being a person. Having reflexive self-consciousness is both the necessary and sufficient conditions for being a person. I discuss the relationship between having reflexive self-consciousness and the other properties which uniquely belong to persons ‘i.e.,’ being a moral agent, being a rational agent and having free will. A problem arises when one defines a person based on having reflexive self-consciousness. “Is a sleeping human being still a person?” To resolve the problem, I will appeal to Aristotle’s distinction between first and second potentialities.
More...
Our study, according to its title, will consist of four parts. Initially, we want to elucidate the concept of abduction and the characteristics of abductive reasoning. Then we will turn our attention to visual abduction, proceeding from its logical and psychological discussion in the literature. Finally, we will deal with the question whether building design proceeds abductively. If we will assume that it does, then we will argue for this point. Our argument will be based on a specific example, supplied by the design of an archaeological museum by Gál Gabriella. By way of a conclusion, we will present our logical and philosophical interpretations.
More...
Some observations on the history of N. S. Leskov’s novel “The Buffoon Pamphalon” are presented in the article. It was established that the starting point for the work’s origin was not the hagiology “In memory of our father diocese Theodoulos”, with which the writer got acquainted upon Prologue’s publication in 1642–1643, but the summary notes made by him in his notebook. While work-ing on the document, N. S. Leskov started debating with the original writing and eventually ended up by introducing a conceptual change. The idea of salvation, declared in the Prologue, was rather obscured in the synopsis. The problem of “Righteousness” happened to be the most important and interesting issue for the writer. According to the author’s interpretation it was the buffoon Cornelius who was truly righteous but not the stylite Theodoulos, as it was written in the original text. In comparison to the stylite’s righteousness, the baffoon’s righteousness is not only a conceptual idea, but the essence of Presence. Such understanding of the original text conditioned the further direction of changes introduced by the author (a changed name of the Lives, an introduction of biographical/psychological characteristics of characters, a reduction of episodes). A revised plot of the Prologue started to gain new relevance in Leskov ‘s perception in 1886. On the basis of his new perception the writer created a story “God-pleasing buffoon” (revised – 1886). Maintaining and developing the initial ideological core of the hagiology, N. S. Leskov developed the Prologue into a moral and philosophical story of righteousness as a service to people, an earthly world as a teaching school, a way of overcom-ing self-righteousness, a way of accepting personal wrongdoings, and recovery of lost relationship with God and the world. Upon prohibition of the 1887 edition by the secular and religious censorship N. S. Leskov was forced to make changes in his novel. To disguise religious sources of the first variant published in 1886 the author changed the former name of the story for the “The Buf-foon Pamphalon”, gave new names to the story characters, replaced the name of Origen by his nickname Adamant, and excluded the Prologue’s quotes. All other changes had creative character (the epigraph, the final conversion). In the new edition of 1887 (2 edition, 1886) under the same title he eliminated previously made formal changes (Prologue’s quotes and the name of Origen). Some archival materials introduced in the study are cited for the first time.
More...
The rising criticism of evangelic doctrine by secular and spiritual writers of the XIX century is analyzed in the article. In Russia, the English lord Granville Redstok and his pupil colonel Vasily Aleksandrovich Pashkov acted as energetic supporters of this criticism. This doctrine was called “The high society rift”. One of the works of N. S. Leskov (1876) was given the same name. The doctrine was also reflected in the works of multiple writers of the second half of the XIX century. Despite a significant number of influential followers, the ideas of the new doctrine did nоt find wide support in the Russian society. N. S. Leskov, F. M. Dostoyevsky, prince V. P. Meshchersky, L. N. Tolstoy and numerous spiritual writers were very critical of the new doctrine. Among them was a famous theologian and a spiritual writer of the XIX century St. Theophan the Recluse, also known as “Theophan Zatvornik” (1815–1894). He wrote seven accusatory articles against Pashkov’s false doctrine. As a result of unanimous criticism by both the secular and spir-itual press a new doctrine was forbidden, and its main ideologist V. A. Pashkov left Russia. It was on of the rare examples of unity between secular and church press. They demonstrated solidarity in the assessment of the developing religious and social trends in Russia of the second half of the XIX century.
More...